


Strike Team

by classic_cut_kyber



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-09 19:45:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19893313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/classic_cut_kyber/pseuds/classic_cut_kyber
Summary: Welcome to the Old Republic. Jedi Padawan Bastila Shan has been chosen for the most important mission in the Jedi Civil War. Her objective? To capture the Sith Lord Darth Revan and his apprentice Malak and bring them back to Coruscant, dead or alive.





	1. Savior

Disclaimer: These stories contain retellings of events from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic video game series. Spoilers ahead.

\--- A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

\---

Jedi Padawan Bastila Shan stared absentmindedly at the wall of the Republic shuttle she was on, lost in her thoughts. She couldn't register the specific details of her surroundings, just general ones: The emergency light bathing the grey interior in a crimson glow. The empty seat in front of her. The standing form of a soldier holding onto the handles attached to the ceiling. The small knick in the wall she had been intently focusing on since they took off. Multiple Republic Soldiers sat next to her, some she knew, some she didn't. She was also joined by two Jedi Knights and a Jedi Master. Her brain couldn't come up with their names currently. She was a statue, back straight, feet flat on the floor, the interior of her knees touching. She was still, with the exception of an occasional blink and the drumming of two fingers on her thigh. Shan was calm. She didn't know why, but she was. She should have been anything but.

They were heading to the rendezvous now, to the location of the trap they had set for the Sith. To the future location of Darths Revan and Malak. The orders were clear; Confront both is possible. If not, confront Revan. Try to capture them and return them to Coruscant. If capture is impossible, kill them.Shan got a stab of anxiety at those last two words. Kill them. This wasn't a sparring match, not a simulation. Not a practice. This was a fight to the death. Kill or be killed.

"Relax padawan." Said Jedi Knight... Jedi Knight... Krill Pol. That was his name. She turned her head to the left and he smiled at her. She couldn't really focus on his face. She saw light skin, dark hair, dark eyes. That's all she could gather before looking back at her spot on the wall. Maybe she wasn't calm. Maybe she was panicking so intensely that it had overloaded her body to the point it didn't know what to do, leaving behind this dreamy, relaxed state. There was a sound like a boom as their ship fell out of hyperspace. She forced herself to look to her right, past the cockpit, into the open space beyond. They were in the Outer Rim. There was Savareen and Christophsis. Rodia was half the size it should have been. And that tiny speck in the distance was Tatooine. Nelvaan was out of sight. Other Republic ships silently entered into the space around them, one by one, popping into existence from seemingly nothing. A large Republic dreadnought entered last, looking foreboding compared to the small fighters. They all sat among the stars, like a hunter waiting for its prey.

Shan tied her chin length hair up. She would rather not get stabbed because she had hair in her eyes. She tied the top up in a short ponytail and did two separate ones at the nape of her neck. She dropped her arms and her hand fell on the weapon attached to her belt. Her lightsaber was cold and heavy against her leg. All padawans start off with a single bladed saber, since it was easier to master. Once she had progressed enough, she hoped to turn it into a double bladed one, like Meetra Surik had had.Shan wasn't sure how long they had been sitting there. Could have been minutes, could have been hours. However long it was though, it was too short. Movement caught her eye. 

Sith flagships entered the soon-to-be battle zone, blocking her view of Savareen's blue and tan surface. She immediately sensed the Dark Side, it growing stronger with each ship that entered. There was a presence above them all, one that was incredibly strong and alluring. Darth Revan. Bastila tightened her hold on her saber.All of the Sith ships weren't even at the rendezvous point when they began opening fire on the Republic cruiser and fighters. Shan gripped onto the handles next to her legs gruffly as the shuttle took a sharp turn to avoid being blown to pieces.

"Hang on!" The pilot said, adjusting their course to Revan's flagship. The already massive vessel got bigger and bigger as they approached it. Ships, Sith and Republic alike, darted this way and that across their route. There were small explosions and pieces of metal everywhere. Laser bolts cut through the blackness of space like lightning during a storm. The flagship was shooting large, arching blue ion blasts at the Republic Capital ship behind them. A Sith B-28 Extinction Bomber exploded into shrapnel and combustion in front of their shuttle, showering them with debris. A Republic fighter zoomed past seconds later. The gunners on their ship shot a few enemy ships down as they closed in on their destination. Everyone was quiet.

"You ready Shan?" Jedi Knight Shera Dayh asked. Her dark skinned face looked happy and optimistic, but Shan could sense her trying to suppress her fear.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose." She replied, trying not to sound like frightened child. They were landing in the hanger. B-28s were parked there, along with some other fighters and a number of Sith in silvery armor awaiting their arrival. Past the soldiers were Dark Jedi. Past them, Darth Revan. It sent a chill down her back. However, she took a deep breath through her nose and stood up as the ship touched down. She was a Jedi. They did not fear, they did not waver, so neither would she. She plucked her saber off her belt. After all, she was Bastila Shan. She was better at Battle Meditation than most of the masters. Not only was she was the one the council praises, she was projected to be a future member one day when she was more experienced. Masters Atris and Vandar Tokare have told her that themselves. She can do this. She looked to the Iridonian Zabrak, Master Jikano Qora, as the docking ramp began to lower.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." One trooper muttered under his breath. Qora stood up as the ship lurched to one side.

"May the Force be with us." Qora said as he rebalanced himself, his long dark braids swinging against his back. "Let's show these Sith who they're messing with."


	2. Conqueror

"For the Republic!" A soldier yelled as they descended down the ramp, his blaster high in the air. They were one of many shuttles to land in Revan's flagship. There were at least two to a hanger. Their reinforcements had not arrived yet. Bastila hoped they hadn't gotten shot down in the dogfight. She took a deep breath.

Shan followed them down. She ignited her yellow, T shaped saber and focused on the scene before her. There, on the opposite side of the hanger, was the door they needed to get through. She knew because she had spent hours memorizing the ship's layout. From there, it was only a few turns and an elevator ride to the bridge. She cursed as some Sith commandos filed in through the door, distinguishable by their vivid red armor.

Shan deflected blaster bolts like she had practiced dozens and dozens of times at the temple. However, her ability was a bit inhibited due to her lack of confidence. This was her first mission of this magnitude before and blaster bolts were a lot scarier when they could kill you rather than sting . Shan quieted her mind. She felt her enemies moving about the ship, their energy, and used it. Using the Force, she siphoned away their will to fight, their hope, and transferred it to her men. She was like an energy converter.

Shan relied on her instincts completely, half of her mind on combat, the other half on her Battle Meditation. She was constantly blocking, deflecting, slashing. She yiped as a blaster bolt landed on her lower back. She turned stabbed the Sith who had landed the shot. It burned a lot, but it wasn't overly painful at least. Shan took a step back as she noticed a Dark Jedi leap over the soldiers to meet her.

"Hello child." The woman purred once she landed. The bottom half of her face was covered. Her robes were black and her saber was as red as a Karobian Ruby. Her upturned eyes were yellow like Shan's blade. The Dark Jedi gave her lightsaber a twirl, clearly not seeing Shan as any sort of threat. Bastila took a fighting stance and prepared to defend herself. She would use that over confidence to her advantage. The woman narrowed her eyes. She watched her for a moment, assessing her form, before she rushed towards the padawan. Shan was ready. They met in saber to saber combat. Shan swung high. The fallen Jedi blocked it. Shan sliced left. Her opponent parried it and countered, forcing Shan on the defensive. She attempted to take advantage of an opening, a spot where the Dark Jedi had left a little too much room between her arm and side, but her opponent was good. She angled her saber so that Shan's missed her body completely. They sparred and slashed while the Republic and Sith soldiers battled all around them, both sides losing members like flies. In the back of her mind, Bastila wondered where Dayh, Qora, and Pol had gotten to, but she couldn't focus on them now. She had her own problems.

Shan used the Force to pick up a dead Republic soldier and toss the body at the fallen Jedi. She back flipped and avoided it completely. Shan's enemy made an irritated grunt, now realizing this wouldn't be as easy as she thought. The Dark Jedi stood up and shot lightning at the padawan. Shan managed to block it with her saber, but was shoved roughly to the floor. The fallen warrior raised her saber to plunge it through the Bastila's chest when a look of shock came over her. Shan looked down to see half of a blue saber emerge from her torso. The Dark Jedi fell over to reveal Dayh standing behind her.

"You must focus Bastila. You are letting your fear get the best of you." She said, stopping to force push an attacking Sith marauder into a nearby fighter. "I've seen you fight. You are better than this. Trust your instincts padawan." She said with an encouraging smile. Shan nodded numbly. She would have been embarrassed if it wasn't a life or death situation. The elder Jedi offered the padawan her hand. Shan took it and Dayh pulled her to her feet. The hanger was almost completely devoid of Sith now. Shera took her saber and angled it behind her, stabbing the soldier that had attempted to jump her from behind.

"Well if you two ladies are done, we have a Sith Lord to capture." Pol said, Master Qora finishing off a Sith commando behind him. Dayh rolled her eyes. "After you two." She said. He gave her a smile and turned away from them.

With Pol in the lead, Dayh, Shan, Qora, and a handful of Republic soldiers made their way into the ship towards the bridge. Shan and the others sprinted as fast as they could down the corridors, stopping only to take care of the Sith soldiers that got in their way. The squad and Jedi reached the elevator fairly easily. So far, the elevator ride was the worst. It gave Shan time to think about what could happen on that bridge, particularly, what could go wrong. As soon as the door slid open though, those thoughts flew out of her head.

Shan and the others sprinted down the hallway rounded a corner. They only had very limited time left before Revan realized they were here. If he hadn't already, of course. Bastila saw some dead Jedi down another offshoot, creating a stab of discomfort in her stomach. She looked up as a slight metallic ping drew her attention.

"Watch out!" Bastila yiped. She yanked Krill back as a Dark Jedi jumped down from a vent in the ceiling. Shan lowered herself down and turned her back to the enemy to avoid being impaled. She reached up over her right shoulder and stabbed him through the chest. Pol had a shocked expression. He shook his head and came back to reality.

"Thank you Padawan Shan. I owe you one." Bastila gave him a nod and a smile. They kept moving.

They fought their way through hordes of Sith and Dark Jedi until they reached the bridge, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. When they got there, they found the door to be unopenable, but with a few handy rewiring tricks that Sergeant Henny knew, they had the hatch open in no time. Bastila didn't know why, but she had the strange sense that nothing would be the same when this battle was over and done with. More so, she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. She assumed that would be discovered later. 

When they entered, there were multiple Sith soldiers and technicians meandering about the deck, but that wasn't what drew everyone's attention. It was the large, robed man across the bridge with his back to them, watching the battle in the space before him.


	3. Hero

"Darth Revan!" Dayh yelled, pointing her blue saber at him. Pol gave his green one an anxious twirl. A Dark Jedi on the bridge rushed at the light ones as Revan turned around. The Sith Assassin shot Force Lightning at the strike team. He had a double bladed saber, which had four angled exhaust ports on each end, making the saber look like two arrows that met at the hilt. They blocked it with their own and Pol took him head on, while Dayh, Qora, and Shan stayed to deal with Revan.

"Make this easy on everyone and surrender." Dayh said. Her voice was tight. Shan had never met Revan as a Jedi Knight. She had only seen him from a distance a few times. However, she did know that Dayh had known both him and Malak. It must be hard to see your friends fall, to deal with that betrayal. It was only now, after everything had settled into her mind, that Shan realize Malak was nowhere to be seen. He must be aboard another ship.

Revan crossed his arms without a word. It was a simple gesture, one many people did without thinking, but in this moment, when he did it, it was powerful. It sent a stronger message than any manifesto ever could have. What represented discomfort or insecurity in some, was defiant and steadfast in him.

"Revan." Shera's voice said. It was low and dangerous. This was personal. Pol had killed the Dark Jedi and moved to attack the Sith Lord, placing himself on Shan's left. Dayh was on her right. Qora was behind her. The rest of the Sith Soldiers were like robots below them, fiddling with computers and panels. Shan wasn't even sure if they knew that there was four Jedi on their bridge. They were focused entirely on the Republic Armada. Bastila swallowed.

"This can end." Shan said. She surprised herself. She hadn't expected to say anything, but she couldn't stop now. She quickly began formulating what she would say next. The only indication from Revan that he had heard her came from the slight readjusting of his face behind that mask of his. It had a T shaped visor, along with remnants of flaking red paint around it. The rest was silver. If Shan didn't know better, she would have said it was Mandalorian, but why would Revan wear the mask of his former enemy? No, she had to focus.

"This can end, all of it. Just surrender. No more death, no more fighting. If you hate the Jedi Council so much, come back with us and help us fix it." Shan said. Dayh and Pol looked pleased with her words. Revan, however, was unreadable. That scared her more than any battle ever would. In response to her words, the Sith Lord ignited his red lightsaber. Her heart dropped.

"People don't change." He said, his voice gruff and deep. It had an edge to it, an authoritative edge, one that demanded your respect. From those three words, Shan immediately understood why the Revanchists formed in the first place. Between his commanding aura, his proud stature, and confident voice, it was no wonder people flocked to him. She was pretty sure if Revan stepped off a cliff to his death, his whole army would follow. Shan gripped her saber anxiously with both hands. She stepped, taking a deep breath in. She stepped again, deep breath out. She raised her saber in sync with Revan's. They slashed and parried for a heartbeat. Then she was looking at the ceiling of the bridge.

Shan sat up, confused. What had happened? She looked around, her vision blurry. Her mind was desperately trying to piece everything together. She saw dark blobs moving about. She heard frantic voices and some humming in the background. She blinked a few times and the bridge came back into focus. The soldiers were rushing off somewhere, off into the hallways. The window showing the planet of Christophsis was cracked. There was a small fire burning in the corner. Above her was a large dent in the ceiling. The inner layer of metal had been ripped and torn open.

Shan pushed herself up. She had a strange feeling in her stomach. There were a number of dead Sith soldiers. Pol, Dayh, and Revan were all on the floor. Qora was nowhere to be seen. Shan looked down as a drop of liquid dripped onto her hand. She lifted it to her face, watching the droplet slide down the back of her hand. It was red. Blood. She looked at her torso. She had a few sharp chunks of metal embedded in her side. It was only then that she realized that that strange feeling in her stomach was pain. Her head was also aching. She could feel blood sticking her hair together on the back of her head. It was like once she saw the blood, she was suddenly aware of the pain she was in. Her arm had been slit from her shoulder blade almost to her elbow. Her jaw had a gash in it and hurt to open. Her left ankle and knee gave her a sharp stab of pain. Shan bit her tongue and forced herself to her hands and knees.

"Dayh." She said crawling lopsidedly over to the knight. She shoved her shoulder. No response. Shan's heart went cold when she saw blood pooling out from underneath her body near her neck. Bastila backed away hastily. Something pricked at her mind as she did so. She could sense a presence. She turned her head towards Revan. She could feel him, fighting for life. She looked to Pol. Krill was lying there with a large piece of shrapnel sticking out of his stomach. He reached his hand out weakly, ushering the padawan over while blankly staring at the ceiling.

"Shan..." He said weakly. She scooched over to him, taking his hand. He was over near the pit where the technicians worked. There were a number of dead Sith there, along with the body of Qora. "Get out of here. Save yourself." He said. "I- I don't know what to do. Krill, tell me what to do!" She begged. But it was too late. He too, was dead. His hand went limp. A noise came from behind her. Revan stirred slightly, but stopped moving after a second. Shan watched him. He didn't move again. The ship rocked again, sending her sliding closer to Revan's unconscious form. It just dawned on her injured head that someone was attacking them. But the Republic wouldn't attack while they were still on board... right? Once the explosions stopped, she heard someone calling her name. She looked around. Everyone had evacuated the bridge. Where was it coming from? Then she looked down at her blinking comm link. She stared at it for a second.

"Damn it! Bastila, Shera, Qora, someone answer me!" A voice yelled. "Hello?" Shan replied slowly. "Bastila! I'm so relieved you are ok. What's going on?" The voice said. Whose voice was that? Captain, Colonel... Commander. Commander Khesio. "Dayh, Qora, Pol are dead. Revan's alive, but barely." She explained. "Well get out of there! Malak betrayed Revan! He's going to blow this bucket to bits!" He said. "I'm on my way." She said. She stiffly stood up and grabbed her saber, which had rolled and was laying against Revan. Her injured leg was not whining as much as it was previously, to her relief. She started heading for the door, but stopped. She turned and looked at Revan as something hit the opposite end of the frigate. 

She should leave. She would leave. She looked at the door, but took a peek over her shoulder at the Sith Lord again. She should leave him here to die. He would only slow her down and besides, he deserved this, deserved to die. He had killed so many people. He betrayed the Council, betrayed the Republic. As he betrayed them, his apprentice now betrayed him. It was a fitting end. Even if she did save him, he would likely heal up and the first thing he would do would be to grab his lightsaber, kill her and anyone else who got in his way and slaughter his way back to get his revenge on Malak. So she would leave him. However, something was tugging on her heart, something she didn't want to acknowledge, but had to. She was a Jedi. Her job was to preserve life, regardless of who they are or what they did. Everyone deserves a second chance. So against all logic, against all instinct, she found herself at the Revanchist's side. 

She could sense him fighting, clinging to life. But he was losing. His strength was failing. How to save him? She flipped him over. No serious external wounds, which was good. His armor did a good job protecting him. But how to keep him alive? She wasn't a medic. She was just a padawan. Her talents lay in Battle Meditation, not healing.

Battle Meditation. Could it work? Maybe. Running dangerously low on time, Shan put her hands against the sides of Revan's cloaked head. She looked into the visor, but couldn't see the eyes behind it. She focused and pumped as much morale into the Sith Lord as she could. Maybe that would give him the strength to survive. She could sense his improvement almost immediately, although it was small.

She slid her arms under his armpits and hauled him up, the shrapnel in her side and the wound on the back of her bicep forcing her to let loose a scream. She didn't drop him however. She began dragging the former war hero off the bridge, keeping up her Battle Meditation no matter what. No matter how much it drained her. It was the only thing keeping him alive.

Shan passed multiple living Sith as she drug the increasingly heavy Dark Lord throughout the ship. None stopped to help her, but they didn't shoot her either, so Shan couldn't complain too much. Her hurt leg wasn't bothering her much now either, thankfully. Her comm link started blinking again.

"Shan, we have to go, now! Where are you?" Khesio shouted, panic in his voice. "I'm coming, I have Revan." She replied through gritted teeth. He was heavy at the start and getting heavier with each footstep. Not to mention that he was also quite a few inches taller than her, making him awkward to carry. "What? Just drop him! The Republic is keeping Malak busy, that's why he hasn't blown the ship apart yet, but that won't last forever! Leave him. He'll die on the ship." He said. "No! That is not the Jedi way. I will not resort to murder! If I can save him, I will." She said, an edge to her voice. "Who cares if we win the war if we start acting like the very people we wish to defeat? That is why this second war even started! I will not stoop to their level!" Shan stated, breathing heavily. She stumbled backwards a few steps and tripped over a dead Republic trooper. She fell backwards onto her back, with Revan's still limp body squashing her. Luckily, it was on the side she didn't have shrapnel in. She groaned irritably and shoved him off. She had lost her concentration for a second there and Revan had faded considerably. He was still fighting though. He had a warrior's heart, whether he was a Jedi or a Sith. Khesio sighed sharply.

"Fine! Ping me your location and I'll send some soldiers to help you." He said grumpily, disagreement in his voice. "Thank you." She said, tapping her wrist. Khesio muttered something impolite about Jedi and their stupid morals before clicking his comm off. Shan stood up and hauled Revan up again, his body heavier than ever. Her entire side was soaked in blood now and the cloth was sticking to her skin.

Soon after, a group of three Republic soldiers arrived on their location. They took over and began to carry Revan, which was much more efficient than Shan's dragging. She followed them, clutching her injured side to try to stem some of the bleeding. They all stumbled to the left as the ship rocked again, this time sending an alarm blaring. The lights flickered and the sound of creaking metal could be heard as they entered the hanger.

"Hurry up!" Khesio said as he ran to help Shan. He slid an arm around her back and forced her to move faster despite the fact her vision was starting to darken. She was starting to feel very weak. Keeping Revan alive was sapping her strength more than her wounds were. She blinked and was surprised to find herself aboard the shuttle. She was outside just a second ago.

"Get us out of here!" Khesio shouted. He forced Shan roughly into a seat. She leaned hard into the soldier next to her as the shuttle lifted off and beelined for the Republic frigate at a high speed.

"We are going to need medical aid immediately! Three are wounded critically." Khesio shouted into his comm link. The person on the other end replied, but Bastila couldn't make out what he was saying. "Shan, Whisop, and, uhh, Darth Revan." He said uncomfortably. The voice on the other end, although muddled, was panicking. "He's unconscious, barely alive." Shan gave a cry as a sharp pain stabbed in her chest.

"I can't keep him alive for much longer!" She said, her voice strained. She grabbed her wrist and dug her fingers into it. "Almost there!" Khesio said, not bothering to ask her to explain. Shan dropped herself onto the ground, where Revan was lying on the floor. She pulled herself over to him and grabbed his arm. Touching him took away some of the strain. It was strange though. In some ways, as exhausting as it was, it got easier. Like it was something she always did, or was supposed to do.

The shuttle touched down and next thing she realized was that someone was picking her up. She was placed on a stretcher and was getting taken away. They were safe. She could release her hold on Revan, but it was almost difficult to do since she had been holding on so hard, but she did. And once she had, she passed out.


	4. Villain

Shan opened her eyes to the white of the med bay, so blinding, she recoiled and shut her eyes again. She blinked them open and closed repeatedly so that they could adjust without the sharp pain in her retinas.

"I'm glad to see you're awake." A feminine voice said. She turned her head to see Lonna Vash, one of the members of the Jedi Council, sitting at her bedside. She was wearing Jedi Master robes and her dark hair was pulled up into a messy bun on the back of her head. "You're back on Coruscant." She said with a slight smile. "The Council is pleased. You are quite the hero Padawan Shan." Bastila sat up. Her side was sore, but it was nothing compared to the pain earlier.

"Revan?" She asked immediately. Vash's face stayed the same, but Shan could see she was hiding a soured expression. "His body is alive and healing." That was a strange way to phrase that. Shan gave her a bemused look. "What do you mean his body?" She asked. Vash looked away. "His body is healing, but during the attack, he maintained a very traumatic head injury. His mind... it's been shattered, possibly beyond repair." She said. Shan relaxed her body and flopped back onto the bed.

"So my dragging his unconscious body throughout his entire ship was for nothing." She said dejectedly. Lonna adjusted herself. "Maybe not." She said. Shan sat forward again and cocked her head confusedly. "What do you mean?" Vash leaned towards her.

"If we erase the trauma of Malak's betrayal, we may, in a sense 'reset' his mind. It might be able to heal." Shan blinked at her. "And how do you propose we reset someone's mind?" She asked. She realized her tone was a little pompous, but the Jedi Master did not say anything. Vash wouldn't look her in the eye. "By erasing his memory." Shan gasped, the effort again straining her side.

"You can't just take away his memories. That would erase his life, who he was!" She said. "Do you have a better idea, padawan?" She said, forcing Shan to remember who she was talking to. Vash narrowed her upturned eyes at her. "I'm sorry, my Master. I lost my head for a moment. It's just... to take away everything, who he was, without asking him..." Vash dipped her head.

"I wish it were that simple Bastila, but it's not. If one man's life was riding on this, then we would have room to discuss. Revan represents more than just one man. We can not truly erase his memories, just bury them and twist them into new ones. Take bits and pieces of what he already remembers and alter them. As time goes on, he could remember what happened after the Mandalorian Wars. Why he and Malak disappeared and what they found beyond known space that made them turn against us. If he can remember that, that could mean ending this war and preventing another. It could mean victory for us. Revan isn't just one life, he is the life of every soldier sent to the front lines, every civilian caught in the crossfire, the life of the Republic itself!" Vash said. She slipped up and let her emotions get the better of her for a moment. She recentered herself before continuing.

"That is why we can not wait. We can not give Revan an option. And besides, this is likely the best course of action for him. He could end up comatose for the rest of his life, insane from the damage, or, if by some miracle he did wake up his normal self, he would be tried, jailed, and possibly executed, by the Republic. We are giving him a chance to start new." Vash said. Shan looked away. She made a good argument. Everything she said is making sense, but Bastila still couldn't ease the tension in her stomach. To take away someone's entire life and them not even know it...

"You never said how you plan on taking his memories away." Shan stated, diverting the conversation from the hard, morality part. Vash nodded. "You're correct. There is an ancient practice that was banned thousands of years ago, one that is apart of the Abominations of the Force." Shan remembered reading of the Abominations, practices of the Force that were so abhorrent that neither the Dark nor the Light would dare commit them, for if they did, they risked unbalancing the Force. There were many Abominations, but most were unknown. The only ones Shan could remember at the moment was using the Force to create life, keeping oneself "immortal", and preventing someone from rejoining the Force in a life-death like limbo, and of course, taking away one's memories, a practice the Jedi Council was about to do.

"You can't!" Shan said. She lessened her boldness after a dark look from Vash. "Sorry again." She said. "But Master Vash, I have read of the Abominations of the Force. It could throw the whole Force out of balance for who knows how long, maybe hundreds of years! It could make everything a whole lot worse." Shan said.

"How can it get much worse Bastila? The council has debated and we have decided that this is the best course of action. There is a chance nothing could happen, and that is a chance we will have to take." She said, standing up. "And if you're wrong?" Shan asked the master's retreating back. Vash looked over her shoulder at Shan, her hand on the door post."If we are wrong, then the Council can handle the repercussions." She said. "The Council might be able to handle it, but what about the rest of the galaxy?" She snapped. "You watch your tongue. Hero or no hero, I will not be spoken to like I am some inept padawan!" Vash chided back. She walked out the door without another word.

\---

That conversation was a year ago. Shan and the rest of the Republic had tackled Malak and the Sith Empire head on in the meantime. Shan had grown in experience and power, fighting in many battles and becoming a valuable asset to the Jedi and one craved by the Sith.

"Padawan Shan?" A voice she recognized as belonging to Vrook Lamar pulled her away from the ancient text she was reading. She was enjoying her very precious and very seldom time away from the battlefield by reading up on some texts in the library on Coruscant.

"Hello Master Lamar." She said. He took two fingers and tilted her text upwards. It was so old that it was written on parchment. She had to get special permission from Master Atris to read it. "Ahh, you are reading the Articles of Acht-To. An informative read, might I say." He said. She could tell something was troubling him.

"I get the sense that you haven't come here to talk history, my Master." She said, lowering the book. He sighed. "You would be right. The Council has a mission for you. An important one." He said, indicating for Shan to follow him. She shut the text she was reading and stood up.

"I am ready for anything the Council wishes." She said, following him out of the archives. Lamar gave a puff of breath out his nose. "I'm glad to hear you say that, because he's awake." Shan stopped, her mouth open. "What?" She said, shell shocked. The medics said he would never wake up. Lamar took a few steps before realizing he was alone. He turned around and faced her.

"It took longer than we thought. When months rolled by and nothing changed, we thought we had lost him. But Dark Lord or Knight, Republic or Sith, Revan never fails to surprise us." He said. Bastila returned to the master's side and they started walking again.

"So what do you need me for?" She asked tentatively. "We have a task for you. There is a senator on the planet of Pinnia. We are sending you to escort her safely back to Coruscant." He said. "So that's the big medical emergency? Babysitting a senator?" Shan said snarkily. She bit her tongue uselessly, remembering too late that she was speaking to a member of the Jedi Council. To her relief, Lamar laughed.

"Too bad all our medical emergencies aren't senator sitting." He said. "This mission is important because Drey Barano will be apart of the crew." "And he is?" She asked as they made their way to the speeder pad. "Darth Revan." Shan understood immediately. "His new identity." Vrook nodded. "You will be aboard the Endar Spire. You will come out of hyperspace near the planet of Taris. From there you will make your way to Pinnia to retrieve the senator. You will pick a group of soldiers to accompany you. You will choose Drey Barano as apart of said group. Do everything you can to get close to him. You need to gain his trust." Lamar said. Shan got a knot in her stomach again. All this deceit and manipulation sounded more like a plan Malak or another Sith Lord would devise, not the Jedi Council. This time, however, she remembered to keep her mouth shut. As they reached the pad, Lamar stopped and faced her. He looked her in the eye. It made her uncomfortable, but she held his gaze.

"We are trusting you Bastila. The most important piece of this mission, more important than the senator, more important than getting close to Barano, is making sure that Barano does not figure out who he is, under any circumstances, do you understand me? You are the only one on board who will know, so you can not mess up. You can not give Barano the slightest inkling of a clue to his real identity, or the whole mission could fail." Lamar said. That talk weighed very heavily on her. "You can count on me, my Master." She said. He smiled. "Good." Shan squeezed her wrist. "May I ask why you chose me for this mission? There are plenty of masters better suited for this." She said. Lamar opened his mouth to reply, but shut it brusquely as footsteps came from their left.

"Master Lamar!" A dark haired man in his thirties said as he ran up to them from a nearby speeder. "We are ready to depart whenever Padawan Shan is ready to go." He said. "Thank you Captain Onasi. She'll be along in a moment." Onasi nodded and went back to the speeder to wait.

"That's Carth Onasi?" Bastila said in reference to the famous Republic pilot. "Yes. He will be apart of your crew. Do not hesitate to ask him for anything that would come up." Lamar said. "To answer your question, we chose you Padawan Shan, because when we looked inside Revan's head, we sensed you there. Somehow, by some miracle, likely your Battle Meditation, you now have a link with Drey, a sort of bond. We think that will help you get close with him." Lamar said. This surprised Shan, but she didn't say so. She had never created a bond with anyone else, but then again, she never used her Battle Meditation to keep someone from dying before.

"The Council has full faith in you Bastila. May the Force be with you." He said, giving the padawan a pat on the shoulder. Shan dipped her head. "And with you, Master Lamar. Let's hope the Force is on our side today." She said. He gave her a cocky grin. "You never can tell which way it'll swing." He said as he turned to reenter the temple. Shan made her way to where Captain Carth Onasi was waiting for her. He would take her to the Endar Spire, which in turn, would take her to Taris and Pinnia. With Drey Barano, the amnesiac Darth Revan. 

This was going to be quite an interesting mission.


End file.
